[Chewbacca]

Wow, two of my heroes appearing together to dedicate a "interdenominational international temple". I just had to share this picture and this story.

Story

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The faithful and the curious poured into rural Monroe County on Sunday to catch a glimpse of one of the most famous men in the world -- Muhammad Ali -- and one of the world's most revered spiritual leaders -- the Dalai Lama. Ali and the Dalai Lama were in Bloomington to dedicate the Chamtse Ling, a $1.2 million, 10,000-square-foot "interdenominational international temple" on the grounds of the Tibetan Cultural Center southeast of Bloomington. They also co-hosted a youth forum on peace and justice in the afternoon. A handful of guests and media representatives were allowed to witness the dedication; about 3,000 spectators watched on closed-circuit television under tents outside the temple. Guests included Judy O'Bannon, wife of Gov. Frank O'Bannon, and U.S. Reps. Julia Carson and Baron Hill, both Democrats. Ali spoke briefly. When presented with an Indiana University sweatshirt, he rose carefully from his seat and ambled over to the microphone. "That's all I get?" he joked. Ali, sporting a new mustache, had a constant tremor in his hand as he sat at the front of the main tent for morning and afternoon programs. The Muslim and former world champion boxer spent Saturday night at the Tibetan Cultural Center. "He's hanging in there," said professional photographer and longtime associate Howard Bingham. "He has Parkinson's. But his awareness is 100 percent." The brief mid-morning temple dedication was filled with religious symbolism as the Dalai Lama entered the main room and knelt on the floor three times, then climbed a short stairway to mount what a Buddhist expert termed a throne. He sat cross-legged and recited several chants. The dedication was conducted in three phases, said Larry Gerstein, a Ball State University psychology professor and an organizer of the event: • Purification of the space inside the temple. • A prayer to allow one to take refuge in Buddha (the spiritual force), Dharma (the practice of the religion) and Sangha (the religious community). • A prayer for peace. The Dalai Lama is on a multicity visit of America, in part to promote his vision of an autonomous Tibet, his homeland. This was the Dalai Lama's fourth visit to Bloomington, where his brother, Thubten Norbu, taught at Indiana University for many years. China invaded and occupied Tibet in 1949, in the wake of the Communist revolution in China. Most scholars believe the Chinese wanted to secure their borders and control water resources inside Tibet. The Chinese government issued a statement last week denouncing the visit and accusing the United States of interfering in China's internal affairs. The Dalai Lama's brief statements during the day were mostly about religious tolerance, mutual respect and diversity. But the speech by his nephew, Jigme Norbu, was political. Jigme Norbu is the son of Thubten Norbu, who suffered a stroke last year. Jigme Norbu estimated there are 100,000 Tibetan exiles living in America. He spoke of "the right to keep our identity, our heritage, the right to define ourselves," and called for "peaceful liberation" and full independence for his homeland. The afternoon youth forum featured several Bloomington students who had written poems or essays supporting peace. Michelle Smith, a senior at Bloomington High School South, said she could not say no when invited to appear with Ali and the Dalai Lama. "It's a life-changing event," she told the guests. "Who wouldn't want to do it?"

[ 09-08-2003, 10:00 AM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]